Bar screens have long been used in wastewater treatment plants ahead of pumps, meters, grit systems, clarifiers and the like to prevent logs, timber or other heavy objects from entering the plant. The conventional bar screen includes a rake for mechanically cleaning the screen, with an inclined apron at the top of the screen being provided to receive debris from the rake. The conventional inclined apron is fixed, and of necessity is at a relatively high elevation with respect to the water flow elevation.
A drawback of the conventional fixed discharge apron is that elevation in the plant is wasted, which requires greater head room as well as inefficient utilization of the bar screen. Thus, there presently exists a need for a bar screen rake apparatus which would enable the discharge to be closer to the floor level of the plant as well as permit a greater percentage of the bar rack to be located in the water flow passageway.